Apple tree named `TAKANO 7GO&#39;

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct variety of apple tree named ‘TAKANO 7GO’ having a longer common storage duration of about one month even at an average temperature of about 20-25° C., balanced sweetness and acidity of the fruit, higher firmness of the flesh, and earlier harvest time (for example, from late August to early September in Japan).

The botanical name of the novel apple tree variety is Malus Mill.

The novel variety of the Malus Mill. is hereinafter referred to by thevariety denomination: ‘TAKANO 7GO’.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority to Japanese Variety RegistrationApplication No. 32562, filed Nov. 11, 2017, which is incorporated byreference herein as if set forth in its entirety.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct variety of appletree botanically classified as Malus Mill. and hereinafter referred toby the name ‘TAKANO 7GO’.

The new variety is a product of a planned breeding program conductedduring a period from May 2006 to September 2017 by the inventor,Oshu-shi, Iwate, Japan, in which the Malus Mill. variety ‘Shinano Gold’(female parent; Japanese Variety Registration No. 7328, registered Aug.11, 1999) was crossed with the Malus Mill. variety ‘TAKANO 1GO’ (maleparent) which is also known as the name ‘BENI ROMAN’ (JapaneseRegistered Trademark No. 5128504, registered Apr. 11, 2008) in Japan.The objective of the breeding program was to create new apple trees thatproduce fruits having long common storage duration and firm flesh,different from those of the parents and known similar varieties.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The new and distinct variety ‘TAKANO 7GO’ has the followingcharacteristics, which are distinct from: the known variety ‘ShinanoGold’ (female parent) that was produced by crossing the Malus Mill.variety ‘Golden Delicious’ which is a classic American apple variety andis also well known in Japan with the known variety ‘Senshu’ (JapaneseVariety Registration No. 42, registered Mar. 31, 1980); the known MalusMill. variety ‘TAKANO 1GO’ (male parent, Japanese Variety RegistrationNo. 20599, registered Mar. 15, 2011) that was produced by crossing theknown Malus Mill. variety ‘Shinano Red’ (Japanese Variety RegistrationNo. 5867, registered Dec. 5, 1997) with the known Malus Mill. variety‘Sansa’ (Japanese Variety Registration No. 1565, registered Mar. 5,1988); and the Malus Mill. variety ‘Tsugaru,’ which is well-known inJapan.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying colored photographs (FIGS. 1-6) show typical flower,fruit, and leaf characteristics for the new Malus Mill. apple treevariety, ‘TAKANO 7GO.” Colors shown are as accurate as can be reasonablyreproduced by photographic means. In some cases, the color might differslightly from the colors of ‘RYOKU NH-13’ described herein.

FIG. 1 shows a tree (about 9 years old) of ‘TAKANO 7GO’ in bloom.

FIG. 2 shows a close-up view of the flowers of ‘TAKANO 7GO’.

FIG. 3 shows petals, pistil, stamens and sepal of the flower of ‘TAKANO7GO’.

FIG. 4 shows a tree, fruits, and leaves of ‘TAKANO 7GO’.

FIG. 5 shows the shape and diameter of the whole fruit of ‘TAKANO 7GO’.

FIG. 6 shows a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the fruit of ‘TAKANO7GO’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The new variety ‘TAKANO 7GO’ has characteristics as described below,compared with the parent varieties and similar varieties (see TABLES 1,2 and 3).

TABLE 1 Partial characteristics of ‘TAKANO 7GO’ Characteristic StateTree: type ramified Tree: habit spreading Fruit: height medium, about 8cm Fruit: general shape ovoid Fruit: relative area of overcolor verylarge Fruit: hue of over color, with bloom removed orange red Fruit:intensity of stripes of overcolor weak Fruit: color of flesh yellowwhite Time of beginning of flowering medium Time of harvest early

The variety ‘Shinano Gold,’ a female parent, has the characteristicsthat the skin color is yellow, the sweetness of flesh is high, theacidity of flesh is medium, the food texture is firm, and the time ofharvest is late, specifically late October in Iwate, Japan.

The variety ‘TAKANO 1GO,’ a male parent, has the characteristics thatthe skin color is red, the color of flesh is yellow white, the time ofharvest is very early, specifically mid of August in Iwate, Japan, andthe common storage duration is short (about 4-10 days in August inIwate, Japan).

On the other hand, the new and distinct variety ‘TAKANO 7GO’ has thecharacteristics described in TABLE 1 above and TABLES 2 and 3 below,especially that the time of harvest is from late August to earlySeptember in Iwate, Japan, and the common storage duration is long(about one month even in the period from late August to early Septemberin Iwate, Japan (average temperatures of about 20-25° C.)) substantiallywithout making the flesh soft and, thus, very superior to any knownvariety produced in Japan (normally up to about 10 days). The sweetnessof the fruit is about 14.5-15 and is higher than the sweetness of knownfruits, such as ‘Beni Roman’ and ‘Sansa’ (about 13-14), while havingbalanced sweetness and acidity and higher firmness of the flesh.

TABLE 2 Comparison of characteristics between the new variety andsimilar varieties Varieties Tsugaru Characteristic TAKANO 7GO Sansa(known)^(*1)) (known)^(*1)) Stripes of over color weak absent — Durationof long, slightly short, slightly short, common storage (at about 1month 10 days or less 10 days or less about 20-25° C.) Fruit: firmnessfirm, slightly firm, soft, of flesh about 15.3- about 13.8 lbs. about13.0 lbs. 16.0 lbs. ^(*1))‘Sansa’ and ‘Tsugaru’ are similar to ‘TAKANO7GO’ in their harvest time.

The following detailed botanical description of ‘TAKANO 7GO’ apple treeis based on a survey (or observations) made during the period betweenAugust 2013 and September 2017 at Oshu-shi, Iwate, Japan. All colors aredescribed according to The Royal Horticultural Society Color Chart. Itshould be understood that the characteristics described will varysomewhat depending upon cultural practices and climate conditions andwill also vary depending upon location and season. Quantifiedmeasurements are generally expressed as an average of measurements takenfrom individual trees of ‘TAKANO 7GO’; however, the measurements of anyindividual plant or any group of plants of ‘TAKANO 7GO’ may vary fromthe stated average.

-   Classification:    -   -   Botanical.—Malus Mill.-   Parentage:    -   -   Female parent.—Malus Mill. variety ‘Shinano Gold’ (Japanese            Variety Registration No. 7328, registered Aug. 11, 1999).        -   Male parent.—Malus Mill. variety ‘TAKANO 1GO’ (male parent;            Japanese Variety Registration No. 20599, registered Mar. 15,            2011).-   Propagation: Typically by grafting on JM1 (Japanese Variety    Registration No. 7443, registered Sep. 21, 1999) rootstock; and the    preferable time of grafting being the period of mid to late March in    Iwate, Japan.-   Flowering—beginning time: Typically in early May in Iwate, Japan.-   Harvest time: Typically a period between late August and early    September in Iwate, Japan.-   Plant description: See TABLE 3 below indicating characteristics of    ‘TAKANO 7GO’ compared with the similar variety ‘Sansa’ (Japanese    Variety Registration No. 1565, registered Mar. 5, 1988).

TABLE 3 Characteristics of ‘TAKANO 7GO’ compared with ‘Sansa’ State ofJP Trait UPOV Method of ‘TAKANO State of No. No. Characteristic Survey7GO’ ‘Sansa’  1  1 Tree: vigor Observation medium medium  2  2 Tree:type Observation (a) ramified ramified  3  3 Only barieities withObservation (a) spreading spreading ramified tree type: Tree: habit  4 4 Tree: type of bearing Observation (e) on spurs and on spurs and longlong  5  5 One-year-old shoot: Measurement, medium, medium, thicknessmm, (b) about 4.5 mm about 4.5 mm  6  6 One-year-old shoot: lengthMeasurement, short, about medium, of internode cm, (b) 2.7 cm about 3.3cm  7  7 One-year-old shoot: color Observation (b) medium light brown onsunny side brown  8  8 One-year-old shoot: Observation (b) strong mediumpubescence (on distal half of shoot)  9  9 One-year-old shoot: numberObservation (b) many medium of lenticels 10 10 Leaf blade: attitude inObservation (c) upwards upwards relation to shoot 11 11 Leaf blade:length Measurement, medium, medium, cm, (c) about 9.5 cm about 9.8 cm 1212 Leaf blade: width Measurement, narrow, about narrow, about cm, (c)5.8 cm 5.9 cm 13 13 Leaf blade: ratio Measurement (c) large, aboutlarge, about length/width 1.63 1.66 14 14 Leaf blade: intensity ofObservation (c) medium medium green color 15 15 Leaf blade: incisions ofObservation (c) serrate type 1 bicrenate margin (upper half) 16 16 Leafblade: pubescence on Observation (c) strong medium lower side 17 17Petiole: length Measurement, medium, long, >2.8 cm cm, (c) about 2.8 cm18 18 Petiole: extent of Observation (c) medium medium anthocyanincoloration from base 19 19 Flower: predominant color Obnservation (d)dark pink light pink at balloon stage 20 20 Flower: diameter withmeasurement, medium, medium, petals pressed into cm, (d) about 5.5 cmabout 5.8 cm horizontal position 21 21 Flower: arrangement ofObservation (d) intermediate intermediate petals 22 22 Flower: positionof stigmas Observation (d) same level same level relative to anthers 2323 Young fruit: extent of Observation (e) medium medium anthocyaninovercolor 24 24 Fruit: size Observation (f) medium medium 25 25 Fruit:height Measurement, medium, medium, cm, (f) about 8.0 cm about 8.0 cm 2626 Fruit: diameter Measurement, medium, medium, cm, (f) about 8.0 cmabout 7.8 cm 27 27 Fruit: ratio height/diameter Measurement (f) verysmall, small, 1.03 1.0 28 28 Fruit: general shape Observation (f) ovoidconic 29 29 Fruit: ribbing Observation (f) absent or absent or weak weak30 30 Fruit: crowning at calyx end Observation (f) absent or absent orweak weak 31 31 Fruit: size of eye Observation (f) small small 32 32Fruit: length of sepal Observation medium medium 33 33 Fruit: bloom ofskin Observation (f) absent or absent or weak weak 34 34 Fruit:greasiness of skin Observation (f) absent or absent or weak weak 35Fuit: surface texture of skin Observation smooth medium 36 35 Fruit:ground color Observation (f) whitish green whitish green 37 36 Fruit:relative area of Observation (f) very large medium overcolor 38 37Fruit: hue of overcolor-with Observation (f) orange red red bloomremoved 39 38 Fruit: intensity of overcolor Observation (f) mediummedium 40 39 Fruit: pattern of overcolor Observation (f) solid flushonly solid with weakly flush defined stripes 41 40 Fruit: width ofstripes Observation (f) medium narrow (absent) 42 Fruit: intensity ofovercolor Observation (f) weak absent 43 41 Fruit: area of russet aroundObservation (f) absent or medium stalk attachment small 44 42 Fruit:area of russet on Observation (f) absent or medium cheeks small 45 43Fruit: area of russet around Observation (f) absent or large eye basinsmall 46 44 Fruit: number of lenticels Observation (f) many medium 47 45Fruit: size of lenticels Observation (f) large medium 48 Fruit:scarfskin Observation absent absent 49 46 Fruit: length of stalkMeasurement, short, about short, about cm, (f) 1.8 cm 1.9 cm 50 47Fruit: thickness of stalk Measurement, medium, medium, mm, (f) about 2.5mm about 2.4 mm 51 48 Fruit: depth of stalk cavity Measurement, medium,medium, cm, (f) about 1.3 cm about 1.3 cm 52 49 Fruit: width of stalkcavity Measurement, medium, medium, cm, (f) about 3.7 cm about 3.8 cm 5350 Fruit: depth of eye basin Measurement, medium, medium, cm, (f) about1.0 cm about 1.0 cm 54 51 Fruit: width of eye basin Measurement, medium,medium, cm, (f) about 3.6 cm about 3.6 cm 55 52 Fruit: firmness of fleshMeasurement, firm, about medium, lbs. 15.3 lbs. about 13.8 lbs. 56 53Fruit: color of flesh Observation (f) yellow white white 57 Fruit:sweetness of flesh Food texture medium, medium, measurement about 14.6about 13-14 58 Fruit: acidity of flesh Food texture medium, medium,measurement about 0.33 about 0.41 59 Fruit: water-core of flesh Foodtexture absent-very absent-very measurement slight slight 60 Fruit:shape of core Measurement, flat round, flat round, cm 2.4 × 2.4 (cm) 2.6× 2.6 (cm) 61 54 Fruit: aperture of locules (in Observation (f)moderately moderately transverse section) open open 62 55 Time ofbeginning of Observation medium medium flowering 63 56 Time of harvestObservation early early 64 Duration of storage: Observation long, aboutslightly short, common storage one month 10 days or (August, less(August, Japan) Japan) 65 Duration of storage: cold Observation longsloghtly short storage 66 Resistance to: Alternalia Observation strongstrong blotch (Alternalia mali Roberts)

What is claimed is:
 1. A new and distinct variety of Malus Mill. appletree named ‘TAKANO 7GO,’ as illustrated and described herein.